God the Lord Eternal (Hospod Boh Previcnij)
God the Lord eternal shows Himself to us
Born in humble manger from a virgin spotless.
Choirs of angels joyfully sing welcome to the newborn King
Glory! Glory! Glory!
Glory to God in the Highest.
(Hymn God the Lord Eternal)
Christ is Born! Glorify Him!
Dear People,
We celebrate the birth of a child in Bethlehem. The birth of any child is a great gift from God, but Jesus’s birth changes the world. Like the Gospel of Saint Luke. the Christmas carol God the Lord Eternal, tells the timeless story of a mother and father in search of a place to find a shelter and a place to give birth far away from their home.
Jesus’s birth in the simple shelter of a cave used as a stable for farm animals is truly the humblest way to enter the world. The nativity hymn reveals the hidden spiritual
meaning of his birth by including the angels who proclaim His birth to the whole world and the heavens above. Through Mary giving birth to Jesus, the eternal God has
revealed him to the world. The significance of His birth. however, is only revealed during the course of His life. The full unfolding of his true divinity is revealed in his
Resurrection.
Today. we are the tellers of the Christmas story to our families and friends. Some
believe, but not all people understand the importance of Jesus’s birth. We try to move them from knowing the basic Christmas story to believe that Mary is the Mother of God, who gave birth to Jesus Christ our Lord God and Savior. We have to be like the angels and proclaim that Jesus is truly both a man and the Son of God in a way that they understand.
This Christmas we again pray that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, helps the nations at war to find a way to stop the violence, and to build a future of true justice and peace. We pray especially for peace in Ukraine. After years of war, may the people have a chance to live without fear of violence. May next Christmas be peaceful for our people in Ukraine.
As we celebrate the Christmas season and begin the New Year, we thank you for your support and prayers during the past year. We pray that the coming year will bring good health for you, your families and friends.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Most Reverend William C. Skurla, D.D.
Metropolitan Archbishop of Pittsburgh
